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Talk:Watch Out Now/@comment-3027589-20150628024816/@comment-3575890-20150628053523
The thing with Murphy, is that while he exhibits traits characteristic of sociopathy, he's clearly not actually a sociopath like we are initially led to believe. Like Sarah said, he is very problematic in season one and so vicious in such a way that he seems like a one-dimensional caricature more than anything else, but once you learn of his backstory and gain insight from his point of view that otherwise was not shown to us in season one, it's evident that he's actually an extremely complex and multi-layered character, if not the most multi-dimensional of them all. Throughout season two, he undergoes tremendous growth in every aspect that he initially lacked character and humanity. Whereas he came off as an apathetic asshole, it soon becomes apparent that he is capable of human empathy. When in season one it appeared as though he only cared about himself, it turns out that he is capable of caring for others. And when it seemed like he cared for nothing and nobody, it turns out that deep down all he's ever yearned for is acceptance and companionship to compensate for many excruciating years of loneliness, neglect, and pain. Murphy is not emotionless like you are initially led to believe in season one. He feels with every fibre of his being and it kills him. He copes with the pain by fighting to shut it out to the best of his abilities. He alienates himself from everyone because he has been led to believe that he's unworthy of being loved, that nobody could love him, and that he's better off alone, but deep down he is just a sad, sad young boy who had his whole world ripped away from him too early in life, and whom has went through life with nothing for far too long. The great injustice of being nearly executed for a crime he didn’t commit drove him completely over the edge as he was yet again reminded that his life is of value to no one, and he has nobody. The way he handed the situation was obviously reprehensible, but the psychology that drove his actions in that point in time is very much understandable, and in hindsight offered a clear window into his mind and heart. Bellamy is a good example of whom Murphy could have been had he been dealt a fairer hand in life. On the flip side, Bellamy was dangerously close to turning out just like Murphy. In the beginning, they even had a comradeship based on their mutual interest in manipulating and controlling the others. But Bellamy was able to break free of that darkness and reassert his moral compass because he had people who loved him and believed in him. Who has ever had Murphy's back? Who has ever cared enough about him to sway him away from the dark side? Murphy has had no one. But he's managed to ascend from that darkness, taking the higher road, all on his own. It's now come to the point of which he has stronger moral scruples than Jaha, whom for the longest time was supposed to be the voice of reason and moral compass of the show, and has now completely lost his way much like how Murphy had. Say what you will about Murphy, but he's merely who he is (or rather was) because he was made that way from a time he was too young to even have a say in who he could be.